| Great defensive players were an important part of the | | | | champion), Clemente won 12 Gold Gloves. His arm |
| superior pitching that was characteristic of baseball in | | | | was strong and his throws extremely accurate. His |
| the 1960s. The players who made this list necessarily | | | | 266 career assists remain unequaled among |
| made their pitchers better, day in and day out. | | | | outfielders in the modern era. |
| 1. Bill Mazeroski – Mazeroski holds more defensive | | | | 6. Willie Mays – Great catches were commonplace |
| records than any other player in major league history. | | | | in Mays’ career. He was also as consistent as he |
| He is the only second baseman ever to record more | | | | was consistently spectacular. Mays won 12 Gold |
| than 1,700 double plays. A 7-time All-Star, Mazeroski | | | | Gloves, the last at age 38, making him the oldest |
| won 8 Gold Gloves. | | | | outfielder to claim that honor. |
| 2. Brooks Robinson – Robinson was probably the | | | | 7. Bobby Richardson – Richardson won 5 Gold |
| best third baseman of all time. When he retired, | | | | Gloves as the defensive anchor for the Yankees’ |
| Robinson held practically every career fielding record | | | | infield. The career-long Yankee second baseman was |
| for a third baseman, including most career putouts | | | | also a great clutch hitter, as demonstrated by his |
| (2,697), most career assists (6,205), most career | | | | outstanding World Series performances. |
| double plays (618), and the highest fielding average | | | | 8. Luis Aparicio – Playing in the 1960s for the |
| (.971) … as well as 16 career Gold Gloves. | | | | Chicago White Sox and then for the Baltimore Orioles, |
| 3. Jim Kaat – Jim Kaat pitched in the majors for 25 | | | | Aparicio won 9 Gold Gloves in his career (in addition to |
| years, was quite possibly the best fielding pitcher ever | | | | leading the American League in stolen bases for 9 |
| to play the game, and was one of baseball’s | | | | straight seasons). An 11-time All-Star, Aparicio played |
| best-hitting pitchers throughout his career. As a fielder, | | | | more games at shortstop than any other player in |
| Kaat had no peers among pitchers, winning 16 | | | | major league history (2,581) and retired with more |
| consecutive Gold Gloves. He also happened to win | | | | assists (8,016) than any shortstop before him. |
| 283 games (#30 all time). | | | | 9. Bobby Shantz – An 8-time Gold Glove winner, |
| 4. Vic Power – A 7-time Gold Glove winner, Power | | | | Bobby Shantz won 5 Gold Gloves in the first 5 years |
| led all American League first basemen in assists 6 | | | | of the 1960s. He finished his 16-year career (that |
| years in a row. He also tied a major league record | | | | included the American League MVP in 1954) with 119 |
| with 2 unassisted double plays in a single game. A | | | | victories. |
| 6-time All Star, Power batted .284 over a 12-year | | | | 10. Al Kaline – Kaline won 10 Gold Gloves during his |
| major league career. | | | | 22-year career with the Detroit Tigers, including 6 in a |
| 5. Roberto Clemente – The Pittsburgh Pirates’ | | | | row from 1961 through 1967. Though not as |
| Hall of Fame right fielder could do it all in the field. A | | | | spectacular as most of the players who precede him |
| 12-time All Star (and 4-time National League batting | | | | on this list, none was more consistent. |